Brent McLachlan was a quiet man who made a big noise. The drummer of two of New Zealand’s most notoriously loud bands, The Gordons and Bailter Space, McLachlan’s metronomic beat was the foundation on which his band mates built their sonic architecture. The Gordons were from Christchurch and at the vanguard of an array of post-punk bands which emerged in the southern city in the early ’80s. Later in the decade lead singer and guitarist Alister Parker formed Nelsh Bailter Space, which went through several lineups before becoming plain Bailter Space. By that time its lineup was the same as The Gordons; Parker, McLachlan and bass player John Halversen.
The band relocated to Wellington where, in the early ’90s, McLachlan was integral in the setting up of Writhe recording studio. His own band, as well as notable acts such as Head Like A Hole, The Bats, The Skeptics and Snapper all recorded there. Bailter Space relocated to the United States at the turn of the century and McLachlan resided in New York, where he again set up a recording studio. He died on December 11, aged 64. — Agencies/Allied Media
